How to Support Your Favorite Bloggers

I’ve hesitated to put this post out for months because I wasn’t sure how it would be received. I finally decided I needed to be honest and explain how things work around here. I love sharing my thoughts with you through my blog, but it comes at a cost.

Today I’m sharing the business of blogging and how you can support the bloggers you enjoy reading. I’ll use A Well Styled Life as an example. There are plenty of “hobby” bloggers who don’t fall into this category, but most professional bloggers business works similarly.

I spend between 50-70 hours a week working on this blog which makes it a full-time job. If I’m not writing content, getting pictures taken, changing my clothes in the car for a photoshoot, editing photographs, making graphics for Pinterest, staying active on social media, or planning content, I’m shopping online or in the stores to keep on top of what’s new.laptop and woman writing

Why I Started Blogging

When the economy crashed several years ago, people began to hold on to their dollars, so my Image Consulting business crashed with it. I decided to start a blog to connect with other women and share style tips I’d learned as an image consultant. I began on the Blogspot platform, which was free and didn’t require me to purchase a domain. My posts were emailed for free, but I soon realized that Google could take my site down at any time. I had no ownership or control over anything I was producing.

I bought a domain to maintain ownership of my name, and things began to multiply from there. As my blogging expenses mounted, it quickly became apparent that the blog needed to cover itself.

What it Costs to Run a Blog

Here are some of the current costs associated with running my blog.

  • I host my website on a platform that charges me a monthly fee based on the size of my audience and the amount of data stored. Because my blog is image-heavy, I need lots of storage.
  • My posts are emailed by a service provider who charges me a monthly fee based on how many emails go out.
  • I pay an annual fee for access to a site where I size and edit my pictures so they won’t slow my site down, and the pages won’t open for you.
  • I pay a technical person to help me with the nuts and bolts of my website. I’ve had it go down enough times to learn I should never mess “under the hood” of this thing šŸ™‚
  • I pay smaller amounts for plugins, apps, and widgets, which add to the total expenses.

The result is it costs just over $1,100 a month to float this boat and keep my blog on the internet.

And that gets me to how I pay for all of this.

How I support this business

  • Sponsored content. Brands hire me to promote their sale, product, or service. I only work with brands I like, or I think will resonate with you. I want to share things that will increase your confidence and make your life better in some way. They’re paying for access to my audience (you), which I value and protect. I turn down multiple offers a week because the product is cheesy, not something I would use or just plain dumb.
  • Ads. People hate ads. The truth is they’re a passive way for me to earn income to pay my blogging expenses. Do I like them? In a word, no. They distract from my content. I’m fortunate to have an Ad company that works with me to help them run smoothly and be as unobtrusive as possible.
  • Affiliate sales. I’m a member of several affiliate networks and earn money if you purchase through a link on my blog. This doesn’t increase your cost of anything. If you click a link on my blog and put something into your virtual shopping cart, then pop over to another blogger and click a link to the same website, then make your purchase, the other blogger earns the commission because they were the last link you used. It’s just the way they work.

Ways You Can Support Bloggers

Don’t keep them a secret. If you like their content, share it with women you think will also enjoy it. Subscribe to follow their blog. Comment and engage with their content which “tells” Google it’s worth showing to other women on the web. Share their images to your Pinterest boards, so more people find them. Follow them on social media. Whenever possible, purchase through the link of the blogger who inspired you.

 

 

I appreciate you all more than I can say. Reading your comments feels like visiting with a favorite girlfriend.

Thank you for being here and taking the time out of your day to read my blog.

 

 

 

111 Comments

  1. Thank you for your transparency! I really enjoy your blog and the community you have created here. The fact that you are open about how this business works makes your blog that much more relatable to your readers. Dressing Room Diaries are my fav!

  2. Always appreciate your content! I had a bit of an idea of what it took to keep a blog running, so having ads, etc. doesn’t bother me. Best wishes always!!

  3. Mary Alice Ahlgren says:

    Thanks for the ā€œbehind the scenesā€ look at things. It does help us to know the financial and time commitment that you put in to share with us. Being transparent is scary sometimes so I hope you are feeling good about all these positive comments. We do appreciate you!

  4. I love your blog too! So I guess Iā€™ll just say ā€œDITTOā€ to all the above and carry on shopping!

  5. Yes I agree with all the previous comments. I appreciate your varied content, and genuine tips, expertise, and ideas that help and inspire me. Thank you for no annoying ads. Thank you for all your hard work!

  6. Lee Brown says:

    Jennifer, thank you, for taking the time to let us know what goes into all of your efforts. I love your blog. I donā€™t comment often but I do read it daily and appreciate it. Your blog is one of very few I pay attention to and it is the only one I read daily. Having met you, spent wonderful time with you, it always feels like we are visiting in person, when I read your work. I am grateful for you

  7. Thanks for sharing this Jennifer. I have followed you for years and your blog inspired me to enter the blogging world. I appreciate your insights into the proper fit of clothes and it is refreshing to see a model close to my age. I look forward to every post and always try to use your links.

  8. As others mentioned, I appreciate the information you shared. So many times I purchase your recommendations and have always been totally satisfied with each purchase. I think I usually click on your links, but I will be more conscious about this now. Yes, I feel like I am with a group of friends here, too. Thank you!

  9. Thanks for your explanation on how this blogging thing works. I had a vague idea, but now I truly understand the time and money involved. I am so glad I found your site and I truly enjoy and appreciate your insight.

  10. That was interesting, you gave more info than I have seen. I have stopped reading a few old favorites because of the ads that pop up over the content and the blasted videos. You try to close the video and something goes wrong and bam! you have to start over! I donā€™t comment much because I hate the process, I wish a reader could just click ā€œlikeā€. But I will do my job and work harder on comments?

  11. Thanks Jennifer for being so open and explaining the blogging process and costs. I enjoy your posts and learn so much from you. Now I am more enlightened about the blogging process, not only do I appreciate you more, but will be actively more supportive. Best Wishes

  12. anne shannon says:

    Thank you Jennifer for writing this. I didn’t know the costs, but what really bothers me is working so many hours. Do take care of yourself!

    Like your other fans, I would like to compliment you on a well presented blog.
    Anne

  13. Your blog is always a favorite, Jennifer. I don’t think most of us know exactly how much work and time goes into making a successful blog. It’s so easy to read blogs while sitting in our easy chair and thinking “that looks like fun”…”I should do that”! You are committed to your reading audience and provide great information everyday and for that I am so grateful and will continue to look forward to and enjoy. Thank you!

  14. Angela Grafe says:

    Thank you so much for your post. Love your honest blog. Sorry, that I have no chance to support you more, as I live in Germany and only on vacation in the States. But anyway, Hope you go on in your way!
    Yours Angela

  15. You do a great job with your blog. I think you love what you do and you help us ladies in this materialistic world. You have a beautiful heart. Thank you for all your help.

    1. So agree with Diane. Also appreciated the lesson on what a blog entails. -Brenda-

  16. Changing clothes in a vehicle sounds like your cardio! Seriously I love your blog and will try to support it, as much as I can! Thanks!

  17. Carol Larochelle says:

    Jennifer, I always realized there must be some cost to you as well as income. I enjoy your blog especially, because you seem very down-to-earth.

    Thar being said, I also follow a couple of other bloggers. There is one that seems to be really expanding her website……with a constant barrage of live videos, endorsing many different brands, etc. I do get it, there is money to be made, but clearly this woman is not wearing herself some of the products she endorses.

    Thanks for your honesty and info on this subject.

    Carol L

  18. This information is quite interesting. I follow several “fashion” bloggers and am always amazed at how they generate content. I am grateful for those of you who share your insights, new fashion, and trends. Keep up the good work!

  19. Thank you for explaining the process. Always good to know what goes on behind the scenes. I now know that commenting is helpful and will be better about that! Always enjoy your posts and especially your honesty and openness about your thin hair! As I am on a hair loss journey, and feel very vulnerable, it is comforting to know that such caring ladies are on the journey with me.

  20. Thank you for this interesting information. I travel blog on Blogspot when we take major trips and often wondered what a “professional” blog would entail. I don’t mind your ads which are not overpowering. I also follow another style blogger and recently she has become so overexposed by adding old posts in with the daily content that I hesitate to even open it because I don’t have the time to go through it all. So keep up the good work!

  21. Thanks for informing us how blogging works. Love your style and tips.

  22. That was very interesting. I had no idea it was so time consuming and costly!! I enjoy your blog and the opportunity to learn new things.

  23. Lisa Stewart says:

    Jennifer,
    I certainly appreciate the fact that you have a good ad company. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to read a blog post with stuff popping up all over the place! I also appreciate that you didn’t join the bandwagon to have “your latest video” starting to play somewhere. I do wish that ads weren’t moving as those are distracting to my peripheral vision.
    You have one of the cleanest, easy to read blogs that I subscribe to. In fact, I now subscribe to very few due to the ads and videos that made loading and reading them a chore. Your blog is entertaining, informative, and attractive and I always open your emails right away. I have gained much from my subscription. Additionally, I have clicked ads and made purchases from your site and will continue to do so.
    My daughter and I started an e-commerce store in July and are building our email list. It is very sobering to see what having a larger list will possibly end up costing.
    Thank you for the “behind the scenes” information.
    Lisa

  24. Judy Casingal says:

    Enjoy your blog immensely and will be more conscious of how I respond to it . Thank you for sharing.

  25. Thank you for explaining all this Jennifer. I truly enjoy reading your blog and find yours to be the most relevant and interesting of the few blogs that I follow. Most of the time I don’t find the ads intrusive, but lately the political ads are very annoying – thank goodness our election is next week and that will be over with.

  26. Thatā€™s interesting to know. Iā€™ve heard generally from other bloggers, but never in such detail. Thanks. Iā€™ve just discovered your blog and really enjoy it. I especially like seeing the styles on someone my age instead of having to imagine if the twenty-something image will translate to me. Glad to have found you.

    1. I have noticed more bloggers being open about how your business works. Wardrobe Oxygen is another blog I follow and she went into great detail on how much she makes. You work hard for your money!

  27. Gail Schwartz says:

    Iā€™m glad to know that clicking on the links to clothing and shoes on your blog generates something for you. What it generates for me is a chance to look better with your good advice. I have so much fun reading your posts and buying new clothes!

  28. that was interesting, thanks!
    I knew there had to be some costs involved, nothing is free..and ive noticed so many young people with blogs and youtube channels, there had to be a money making aspect to it as well.
    I know now to engage more with the ones that i actually pay attention to, and i will be more prone to clicking the links, to at least take a browse…

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